Cotton-picking machine.



W. L, PODRA.

comm FICKING MACHINE.

APPLCATON FILED DEC. gov igl'. L ggdy., ratened Nov. 2Q; M1?.

W. L. OREA,

COTTON PlcKmG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. BO. i916.

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@Non nc L,

Jil.

CGTT-PICKNG MACHNE.

...www-q Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented, Non@ 2Min 15H11?.

implication le December 30, 1916. Serial No. 139,3/16.

` iexible hose for receiving the cotton as it is picked, and wherein other mechanism is provided 'tor positively removing the cotton from the noli and delivering it to the eX- hansting mechanism.

in the drawings:

fignre 1 is a rear view of the improved picker,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail with parts in section,

Fig. 3 is a side View ot' the means for positively removing the cotton,

Fig. 1l is a perspective view of the same, and i Fig. 5 is a perspective View oi the supporting harness ier the hose.

in the present embodiment of the invention a receiver 1 -is provided for the cotton, in the forni of a closed wagon box, and the said receiver is supported lor movement by the wheels Z `which are connected to the body or receiver by arched axles 3. A, suitable motor l is mounted in rear of the receiver, and this motor drives an exhausting device 5, the said device'being in the orrn of a :ian and delivering to the receiver. A main pipe A i3, is supported transversely of the receiver above the saine, and the said pipe is connected intermediate its ends to the ian or exhausting device by means oli a. Vertical pipe 7. The ends of the pipes 6 are closed by screw threaded plugs 8, as shown in Fig. 2, and the said pine is provided with elbows il, the said elbows being; six in ninnber in the present instance, and a flexible hose 10 is connected with each elbow.

shaft 1l is jonrnaled parallel with the pipe below the same in bearings 12 which are connected with the pipes by suitable collars l?, connected With the bearings, and this e, .i seal-'t provided at each elbow with bevel gear lll. A U-shaped bracket '15 is mounted on the shaft at the outermost bevel gears, each bracket having bearings at its ends for engaging the shaft on opposite sides ot the gear, and having a centra-l bearingI 16 in which is journaled ,a flexible shaft 17, and each flexible shaft has a bevel gear 18 meshing with the adjacent gear 14. fit the intermediate bevel gears, double brackets 1S) are arranged, each of the said brackets being approximately Uli-shaped and having three bearings 20 journaled on the shaft, one oi the said bearings being between adjacent bevel gears, and the other bearingr being outside oi the said gears. Each et' these brackets 19 has a vertical bearing 21 between each pair of shaft engaging' bearings, and a flexible shaft 17 is journaled in in each of the bearings 21, each ilexible shaft having a bevel gear 22 engaging," the adjacent gear le.

Each of the hose 10 branches at its ends into branches Q3 and 2st, and the flexible shaft 17 follows the branch Q4. The branchin e is brought about by Y-shaped nipple Q5 having its body portion connected with the main hose 10 and its arms connected with the branches. lhe branch 23er" each hose has a funnel shaped nozzle 26, andthe end of each branch Q4 is provided with piching mechanism to be later described in detail. It will be noted from an inspection of Figs. 2 ando, that the ilexible shaft is connected to the hose and branch by clips 27, the said clips being arranged at suitable intervals, and engaging both hose and shaft.

A suitable harness is provided 'for snipporting the branches on the shoulder the cotton picker. r-llhis harness comprises a belt 2li adapted to pass about the avaist et the wearer and lniving1 a buckle 29 and a tongue for securing it in place. At the rear is a Strap 3l and a buckle 32, and the strap is adapted to he passed about the hose at the Y. r.lhe shoulder straps 33 are connected with the belt at the rear, and are adapted to be connected with buclrles 34- at the iront. ll-he branches Q3 and @fl are passed over the shoulders ot the wearer, and the branch 23 has straps 35 connected therewith, which are adapted to be buckled about the left arm of the user` as shown more parsticularlj/j in Fig. 1, The branch 24.? may also be provided with straps ter the same purpose.

The picking mechanism shovvn in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, comprises a nozzle 3G fitting over the end oi' the hose and having an enlarged portion 37. This enlarged portion is circular in cross section, and is sectional, and an annular inwardly facing channel is provided at the periphery thereof. lil/'ithin this channel is mounted a series of picking wheels 38, the planes of the Wheels being radial to the nozzle, and each `Wheel is secured to the stub shaft AThe stub shafts of the adjacent wheels are connected to connecting shafts bv universal joint connections, and these shafts 40 are journaled in bearings ell arranged about the opening through the nozzle. The flexible shaft 17 is connected to one ofthe stub shafts 39, as shown in Fig. 4, and it will be obvious that when the shafts are rotated, all of the wheels will be rotated.

and they are rotated in a direction such that at their inner sides they ivill move inward.

It vvill be noticed that there are five picking Wheels and each Wheel is opposite. the space between tvvo wheels. The present machine is arranged to permit the picking of three rovvs at a trip across the field, and six pickers are provided for the three rows, two pickers working on each rovv. By means of the harness thc hose is supported on the picker `with one of the branches on each arm.

The picker separates the cotton from the boli and it is drawn through the branch 23 into the receiver with the nozzle, shown in Fig. 4, the -vhcels picking 'the cotton. and it is dravvn through the hose into the receiver. The wheels are toothed as shown, and the Larnaca teeth engage the cotton in the bell and pull te same from the boil, the air suction in the tube removing the cotton from the teeth and drawing it into the receiver.

l claim:

1. A cotton picker comprising a Wheel supported receiver, a pipe supported transversel)v of the receiver above the same and having depending nipples, means for exhausting the air trom the pipe and delivering the said air to the receiver, flexible hose connected with the nipples, each hose branching at the end remote from thepipe, one of the branches having a flaring nozzle, and the other branch having mechanical means for positively picking the cotton, and a. common driving means for all of the said picking means, said driving means comprising a shaft supported by the pipe belovv the same, means for driving the shaft and the exhausting device, flexible shafts at the nipples and driven by the first named shaft and connected with the picking mechanism.

i In a cotton picker, the combination with a receiver, of hose pipes, each pipe branching at the end remote fromV the receiver, one of the branches having a flaring nozzle, and the other having mechanical means for positively picking the cotton, and

means for exhausting the air from the hose' pipes.

WILLIAM L. FODRE.

lVitnesses LiLLIAN BAGBY, S. C. FRANKEL. 

